Like A Stone
by Soul Reaper
Summary: What happens when women divide enemies even further... *Romance flirting with Danger*


Like A Stone  
  
Draco lay on his bed looking up at the lavish yet oppressive furnishings that hung round the bed. A similar air of strained quiet hung over the whole of his house, causing even the portraits to fall quiet, abandoning their usual whispering and scheming. Draco glanced at the clock which read 4:48, and closed his eyes. He had given up sleeping, and instead merely was counting the minutes before he could get up without warning his mother he had lain awake all night. "Just because your father has been called away does not mean things should not proceed as normal," Narcissa had said coldly when she had found Draco sitting downstairs in the dark with an unopened book in his hands. He had not bothered to correct her; imprisonment in Azkaban was not the same thing as being "called away".  
  
Home without his father was. different. Narcissa Malfoy was not bothered by what her son did as long as it did not interfere with what she wanted to do, namely going to visit friends and robe shops. It was always his father who interrogated him, spying on his son's movements. Soon Draco had got into the habit of checking with his father before he did anything at all. This new found freedom was liberating, and unnerving. His mother was surprised to see her son lounging around the house, and kept urging him to "go meet up with a friend Draco, I'm sure any of them would be pleased with a visit." He couldn't say that his friendship group consisted of Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom wouldn't be able to express their gratitude in words of more than two syllables.  
  
His cousin was due to arrive soon, Dawne always provided diversion during the holidays. Her own parents were always travelling foreign wizard towns by floo powder, and yacht, and so since Dawne were tiny she had been attending Beauxbatons during the year, and returning to his home during the holidays. When they were both six years old Draco had asked Dawne to marry him, and their imaginings had attracted his mothers notice. Although not usually interested in her son, Narcissa was Enchanted by the roleplay, and had organised a little party instead of leaving them solely to the care of the house elves, but even now he could still remember the excitement her attentions had produced. However Dawne had promptly forgotten and wandered off to play in the garden, and his mother had frowned, and left to go back to her endless letter writing. Draco remembered tidying away the remains of the party, until his father had come home and chided him for playing such silly games. But Draco was blessed with a long memory, and had always had a secret grudge against Dawne for embarrassing him in front of his parents. In fact Draco had since found many things about his cousin that had not fit into his childhood plan of marrying her, and living in the greenhouse.  
  
Caught up in these memories he found time passing, and when he awoke from his dozing he found morning had definitely arrived. Although to be frank, the daylight around his home always looked the same, chilly, overcast and grey. He had breakfast alone, and was finishing when Dawne arrived. She swept into the room bringing with her the cold morning air, and took a piece of toast from the silver tray without saying a word. Then she slung her coat on the chair and sat down, totally at ease with her surroundings. Draco looked up to smile, and was struck with further changes in his cousin, though kept his analysing gaze impartial. Her very long dark hair was tied back in a long French plait, though travelling by floo powder meant some strands had freed themselves, to fall waywardly about her face. Her delicate features were saved from classical prettiness by a tilted nose and stubborn chin. Yet her lovely eyes belied this stubbornness as they were a serene soft gray, fringed with thick eyelashes. Every time he saw Dawne she seemed to have become more and more composed, the rebelliousness in her gaze more and more dimmed. Indeed the child he knew seemed swallowed up in the young lady who calmly sat before him consuming toast and jam.  
  
Unsure how to act, he started carefully "How are you Dawne?" She smiled, and replied with only a trace of a french accent, "I'm fine Draco, why the stuffy formality?" Nonplussed Draco smiled back and replied "I. don't know, I thought perhaps you expected it." Dawne shook her head and leaned forward "Whatever gave you that impression? Now look I have some exciting news for you." Draco buttered another piece of toast, (which was promptly stolen by Dawne), "Oh really? Has Beauxbaton flodded from its ice statues over the summer?" Dawne waited until Draco had stopped sniggering from his joke, then carried on nonplussed, not noticing the growing look of horror on her cousins usually bland features. "Not exactly, but I am having to leave. Madame Maxime didn't return for ages last year, and when it came out that she was half giant, they asked her to step down as headmistress. My parents don't think I will be safe there without the protection of someone like Madame, and they had a blazing row with Mr Bache, so now through their mutual consent I am no longer a student there." Draco felt a unwelcome suspicion of what was coming, and these fears were confirmed by Dawne's cheery "So it seems I am coming to Hogwarts now, Dumbledore seemed pleased to accept me. Although I certainly can't say the same." Draco managed a weak smile, but inwardly his mind began to race. Dawne could not possibly come to Hogwarts, she would see how much Slytherin was disliked by the other houses, and how some of the other students disliked him as well, a fact he was sure he had kept hidden.  
  
However over the next week Dawne made her opinions known. She told Draco she did not mind which house she was in as long as it was not Hufflepuff, she would study only the subjects with interesting teachers, and she wondered if the ugly cloaks were strictly necessary. Dawne listed the advantages to this change however, including the fact she had the opportunity to meet all of his friends, and get a chance to practice more dangerous and exciting magic. For "according to all the rumours you have been taught by Werewolfs and all sorts" she exclaimed when packing her things into a trunk labelled with her name and destination- Hogwarts. Draco groaned inwardly, and followed her to the waiting coach.  
  
* * * * * * * * Harry sighed as he tried to explain to Hermione exactly why it was important to 


End file.
